How to install the
emulation package, version 2.0.12

Note: These install instructions are for version 2.0.12. If
you choose instead an older version, follow the instructions included
with it.

Prerequisites: NIST Net version 2.0.12 should run on most versions of
Linux available today. It has been tested on 2.0.xx (2.0.27 - 2.0.39),
2.2.xx (2.2.5 - 2.2.18), 2.4.xx (2.4.0 - 2.4.18) and 2.6.xx (up to around
2.6.11) level kernels. Some tweaking may be required for 2.1 or 2.3 kernels.
It should compile with either "linux" libc headers or "glibc" libc headers,
with the proviso that of course kernel files can't be compiled with glibc
headers.

nistnet.2.0.12c.tar.gz (for 2.6 kernels). Actually, the
2.0.12c version might work on 2.4 kernels as well, but this hasn't been
tested yet.

tar -xvzf nistnet.2.0.12[b or c].tar.gz - produces a directory nistnet
and a bunch of files in it. That is the directory referred to as
nistnet below.

This version does not require any kernel patching! If you have
installed previous (very old) versions of NIST Net, and want to remove
the old patches, you can either install a fresh kernel source tree,
or run the ./Unpatch.Kernel script provided with the distribution.

Optional: For the 2.0.12b version, there are patches for Alpha
and Sparc processors which can be installed with the Arch.Kernel script.
If you have one of these and want to experiment with them, be my guest.
Note, however, that these patches are totally untested! Also, they haven't
been updated for the last few releases and are probably a bit out of
sync.

Optional: On the other hand, for the 2.0.12c version, there is
beta-level support for 64 bit processors of the x86_64 architecture.
Again, if you have one of these and want to experiment with it, be my
guest. Full support for the x86_64 (including support for both 32-bit
and 64-bit clients) will be part of the 3.0 "Next Generation" release.

Sigh. Even
though you don't have to patch or compile a kernel, you may need
to do some work to get the configuration set up. So if you haven't
done something like this before, try the following:

cd /usr/src/linux

- or wherever the kernel source is

make oldconfig

- exit and save

make dep

For Red Hat users, there are some special instructions that come
with the package. See README.RedHat for more information. This
information may also be useful for users of other distributions.

Check the NIST Net configuration and create the appropriate Makefile:

cd nistnet

./configure

- Decide whether or not you want
support for explicit congestion notification processing.
Also, decide whether you want COS (class of service)
selection support.
- may want to use an alternative to the
- Tested with Athena Xaw, Xaw3d, and neXtaw

Build and install the nistnet module, API library, and user interface

make

make install

Try things out:

Load.Nistnet

- loads "nistnet" emulator module into kernel

xnistnet

- runs (X-based) user interface

cnistnet -h

- usage info for command-line interface

insmod mungemod

- loads "mungebox," a sample emulator add-on

mungebox -u -a srcdest -S

- view traffic between src and dest

insmod nistspy

- loads "nistspy" sample add-on (note: only
one add-on can be installed at a time)

nistspy -u -a srcportdestportnewdestnewport

- duplicate traffic to newdest/port

To turn off:

cnistnet -d or "off" button in xnistnet

- turns off emulator

nistspy -d

- turn off duplicator
(mungebox shuts itself off automatically)

rmmod mungemod (or nistspy)

- removes add-on module
(must be done before removing nistnet)

rmmod nistnet

- removes module from kernel

If you want to try congestion notification, ping.tar has source for
a modified version of ping which allows setting and checking the ECN bits.
To build it, you need a copy of netkit-base-0.10, available from
SunSite (www.sunsite.unc.edu)
Walnut Creek (www.cdrom.com)
and many other fine sites. Get it
and configure it, then overlay the ping code in it with the source here.
This level of testing just shows the bits being set, of course. Things
are more interesting if you have an implementation of TCP with ECN to
test with. (This is available in the latest versions of Linux, for
example.)

For more usage information, check the README.WhatsNew file found
in the top-level nistnet directory.